FRISCO

A section of Preston Road south of U.S. Highway 380 in Frisco will be reduced to one lane between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. Traffic delays are expected. Motorists should consider alternate routes. This is part of the Texas Department of Transportation's road widening project.

In addition, Coleman Boulevard in Frisco Square will be closed from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for the Arts in the Square festival. Part of Frisco Square Boulevard will also be closed both days. Detour signs will be posted.

All parking south of Frisco Square Boulevard will be reserved for library patrons. Festival goers may park in the west and east Frisco Square parking lots as well as at Pizza Park on the north side of Main Street. Click here for street closures and alternate routes. Click here to read the release from the city of Frisco.

As Congress gears up to discuss the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, schools nationwide are reexamining the food they feed their students.

Frisco ISD is pushing breakfast next week in a campaign to reinforce the importance of eating balanced meals, especially one that gives kids energy for the rest of the day.

The push extends beyond the district. The National Academies of the Sciences is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish more comprehensive child nutrition regulations. Most states will administer these requirements through their health services departments. But in Texas, the agriculture department handles child nutrition programs.

It's already started taking action. Susan Combs, the state's former agriculture commissioner, made child nutrition one of her biggest issues. The department is continuing to emphasize food in schools as a way to combat the state's obesity epidemic. A law this school year banned fried foods in cafeterias and prohibited the sale of junk food in high schools during the school day.

Most schools already have a breakfast in place. Texas law requires districts to participate in the state's School Breakfast Program if at least ten percent of their students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.

But not all students take advantage of it. Frisco is hosting "School Breakfast - Ready Set Go" as part of National School Breakfast Week, a campaigned pioneered by the non-profit School Nutrition Association.

Frisco ISD's menu includes yogurt parfaits, cereal and fruit. There will also be cinnamon rolls for the die-hards. But don't worry, the district said, they'll be whole wheat.

Votes and comments continue to pour in about Frisco's role in the Collin County arts hall. After investing nearly eight years into what's become the Arts of Collin County, some council members want to let citizens revote on authorizing the remaining $16.4 million in bonds. The City Council will meet at 2 p.m. Monday to decide whether to put a question on the ballot.

A ballot vote signals a "now or never" sort of involvement from Frisco. Take away the bond authorization, and Frisco's out of the project. And without Frisco, the cities of Plano and Allen would have to figure out whether they can go it alone. Click here to review the background, see the results of our poll on the issue and readers' comments.

This weekend's Arts in the Square features more than 100 artists as well as live music (The Romantics perform at 4 p.m. Saturday), a kids area, storytellers and dancers. The event benefits the Frisco Association for the Arts. The event is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Click here for details.

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The Department of Education is announcing the first round of recipients of its Race to the Top Fund today and Texas knows it's not on the list.

States needed to apply for these competitive grants, which are given based on the state's plan for innovative education reform. The Texas Education Agency and Gov. Rick Perry said the money came with too many strings and decided not to apply.

The education department is planning an official announcement later this afternoon but states have already been notified. Some, like Florida, have already sent out press releases.

Did Texas make the right decision not to apply? With telling cuts in schools across the country, will Collin County districts feel a delayed impact?

Here are the states along with the District of Columbia who received that specific stimulus funding:

Colorado
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Kentucky
Louisiana
Massachusetts
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee

It was business as usual this morning at the Arts of Collin County Commission board of directors meeting, despite the possibility of a vote by Frisco that could cripple the project.

The board unanimously approved authorizing executive director Mike Simpson to enter into an agreement with the city of Allen to provide a guarantee of a construction line of credit of up to $5 million. The board also authorized entering in an agreement with a financial institution to secure that construction line of credit.

And tonight, the Arts of Collin County will be announcing a significant in-kind gift from a Dallas donor.

"My job doesn't change," Simpson said. "My job from Day 1 has been to get this project funded and get it built."

The Frisco City Council will meet Monday to decide whether to send the bond authorization for its share of the project back to voters. There's still time to cast your vote in our online poll: Should Frisco citizens be allowed to vote again on the Arts of Collin County bonds?

And your parents said those late-night jam sessions would never come in handy.

Frisco's Music Conservatory of Texas is offering a $1,500 scholarship to FISD seniors who want to study music in college. Conservatory leaders are providing the funds in honor of the organization's 10th anniversary. They're partnering with Frisco Education Foundation to administer them.

The donation is also a tribute to co-founder, Carol Lee Smith, for which the scholarship is named. Smith died from breast cancer before the school opened.

Click here to learn more about the scholarship.

Frisco can chalk up another sports win. The city will play host to the first of its kind Baseball Scouting Combine at Dr Pepper Ballpark in August. One hundred elite high school and college athletes will be invited to the four-day event that will be similar to the recent NFL Combine. Every Major Baseball League team has been invited. Frisco Mayor Maher Maso's Friscofirst Blog has details here.

Frisco's future in the Collin County arts hall is high on people's minds. The council will meet Monday to decide whether to put the project back on the ballot. Click here to take our poll.

People interested in running for the Frisco City Council or Frisco ISD school board have until 5 p.m. Monday to file. Two seats are open on the council. Three seats are up on the school board.

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Voter turnout in Collin County's primary elections Tuesday was twice what officials expected, leading to long lines, a slow count and frustration among voters and candidates, reports DMN colleague Ed Housewright. Click here for the rest of his story.

Frisco ISD is also talking about art this week, even if it's less venomous than Frisco city council's.

The debate over Frisco's participation in a multimillion dollar Collin County arts hall went into the early hours yesterday and continues next week. Frisco ISD has a much more muted discussion surrounding art: a public viewing of student work.

The district is holding its secondary student art show at the Career and Technical Education on Thursday from 6-8:30 pm. Wakeland High, Frisco High and feeder schools will showcase their art from 6-:7-30. Centennial, Heritage, Lone Star and feeder schools will start showing theirs at 7.

The Frisco City Council will hold a special meeting Monday to determine whether to ask voters again for their approval to spend the remaining $16.4 million in bonds authorized for the Collin County arts hall. Frisco partnered with Allen and Plano years ago to build the 2,100-seat performance hall on Exchange Parkway just south of State Highway 121. All that was needed was enough private donations to shore up the difference between the $19 million pledged by each city and the project's final costs.

Arts of Collin County officials say construction costs are at an all-time low and now is the time to build. They believe they have the money to move forward now with phase one. They just need final authorization from the three owner cities. That's where the rub comes in.

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Collin County Commissioner Kathy Ward, who has served less than two years, lost her re-election bid to Plano school trustee Duncan Webb Tuesday in the Republican primary, reports DMN colleague Ed Housewright. Click here for more from Housewright on Collin County primary election results.

Tuesday was a big day for John Keating, who filed paperwork to run for the Place 4 seat on the Frisco City Council. Keating is challenging incumbent David Prince, who is seeking his second three-year term on the council.

Keating, 46, who owns a small business in financial services, has lived in Frisco for 11 years. He and his wife have two boys, who are active in sports, from baseball to soccer to lacrosse. Before starting his business, Keating spent 13 years on active duty for the U.S. Army and worked as a counterintelligence agent. His civic activities include serving on the board for the Starwood HOA and the PTA at Spears Elementary for seven years. He has been in charge of the PTA's annual silent auction, which has raised $115,000 over five years.

As for his council run, Keating says he's nervous and excited about his first campaign for public office. "I realize how lucky we are," he said. "Frisco is worth fighting for."

Keating said he doesn't have an agenda and wants to be a team player. He admits he's got a bit of a learning curve, but isn't afraid of the hard work ahead.

The deadline to register to run for the Frisco City Council is 5 p.m. Monday.

The Frisco City Council debated til nearly 1 a.m. Wednesday on the city's involvement in the Collin County arts hall. A majority said they believed that now is not the time to move forward on the project because of the poor economy and the impact of bond sales on the city's budget. But the bigger question - whether the city should still be involved in the project - remains unanswered.

The council will meet again at 2 p.m. Monday to decide whether citizens should be allowed to revote on the remaining $16.4 million in bonds authorized for the Arts of Collin County project. The clock will be ticking, though. The council has until 5 p.m. that day to decide what goes on the May ballot. The council could also put the question on the November ballot, but that would essentially put any action on the arts project on hold until then.

Based on Tuesday's discussions, it appears council members Pat Fallon, Scott Johnson and Jeff Cheney favor a revote by citizens. Council members Bart Crowder and Bob Allen don't. Council member David Prince said he has no reservations about sending the project back to the voters but wants to discuss the issues more before deciding. Mayor Maher Maso only votes in case of a tie, and he's definitely not in favor of a revote. Council members have several days to think about what they'll do on Monday. They could still change their minds.

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There may not be a school board election in Frisco today, but the future of the district's education could still be at stake.

Today's Republican primary will determine control of the State Board of Education, which sets the tone for Texas schools.

The main focus is on two Republicans with contrasting agendas in a year when the board must made crucial decisions on how new science textbooks should cover evolution and which political figures to stick in history books. No Democratic contender has filed, making it an easy sweep for today's winner in November.

Don McLeroy of College Station is one of the most vocal conservatives on the panel. He faces Thomas Ratliff, a legislative consultant and lobbyist who is trying to rejigger the board's conservative dynamic. He has the support of most mainstream education groups.

The race is important nationally because Texas distributes textbooks across the country. The New York Times Magazine has written about this race as has DMN colleague Terrence Stutz. Read the Times' story here. Read Stutz's story here.

Then watch for the race results tonight here.

WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Ratliff narrowly beat McLeroy with 50.5 percent of the vote. Read about DMN's election coverage here.
In full disclosure, I'm covering the agriculture commissioner's race. Read about the results of that lively Democratic primary here.

Today's the primary election. By the end of the night, we'll finally know who's headed to the ballot in November. And in some races, today's results will be the deciding factor. DMN colleague Robert T. Garrett offers some early voting numbers and how that compares with turnout on previous elections.

Here are some helpful links:

• Voter Guide


• 50 things you need to know about the gubernatorial candidates


• Collin County polling places and sample ballots


• Denton County: Democratic primary ballot and polling places and Republican primary ballot and polling places

The Frisco City Council will be discussing the Collin County arts hall at tonight's meeting. Some council members have questions about the costs and what the Arts of Collin County project will mean to Frisco. Is now the right time to sell the remaining $16.4 million in bonds authorized by voters back in 2002? If Frisco holds off on spending the money now, will the project's costs rise as the economy improves? And where will Frisco find an extra $350,000 to $500,000 year that's expected to be its share of operating costs once the performance hall opens? Will the city have to raise taxes to pay for it? Tonight should be interesting. Watch the meeting live online tonight (look for the Live Video link here).

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An observant Frisco police officer on patrol spotted a vehicle driving up and down alleys about 1 a.m. Monday in a Frisco neighborhood near Rolater and Hillcrest roads. He pulled the vehicle over on a traffic violation and ended up searching it. Police say the officer discovered two pistols that had been stolen from a vehicle in a nearby neighborhood.

Donald Wahl, 18, of Frisco, above left, faces charges of theft of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and a traffic violation. Michael Tillman, 19, of Frisco, above right, was arrested on suspicion of theft of a firearm and three outstanding warrants out of Dallas. A third occupant in the car was not charged.

Wahl and Tillman were being held at the Frisco City Jail with bail set at $2,500 each.

Auto burglaries are a big problem in Frisco. Police remind residents to lock their vehicles, take their keys and hide their belongings to help curb crime.

Frisco ISD, with its high test scores and supportive school board, has a reputation for snatching teachers from other districts.

It's not necessarily the pay.

Colleague Jeffrey Weiss wrote today about a possible hike in teacher salaries in nearby Richardson ISD. Frisco officials say that conversation hasn't occurred yet this year. The base salary for first-year teachers with no advanced degree is currently $45,250.

Richardson ISD, which has spurred the salary discussion this year, is considering upping its salary $700 to $45,800.

This would still keep it under Mesquite at $45,900, Carrollton-Farmers Branch at $45,940 and Irving at $48,300.

Dallas' base salary is just above Frisco ISD's at $45,350. Plano, Garland, Allen and McKinney all fall under Frisco for base teacher pay.

Chattanooga Times Free Press columnist Mark Wiedmer is hoping Frisco becomes Fiasco - ouch! - during next year's first NCAA Football Championship Subdivision game at Pizza Hut Park.

The NCAA announced on Friday that Frisco would host the game for the next three years, even though Chattanooga's Finley Stadium has been home for the title game for the last 13 years.

Wiedmer seems a bit upset. He's calling on the blizzard of all blizzards to hit Frisco on Jan. 7, 2011, and put a crimp on the festivities.

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Plano ISD is toying with the idea of a magnet school to stay competitive and enhance diversity in a shifting public school landscape.

Could this be Frisco's fate too?

Plano schools reporter Matthew Haag writes about the growing national demand for specialized schools and the potential for success in Plano.

Read why Plano ISD officials think this might work here.

Are magnet schools the future of public education? Should Frisco administrators be watching?

While many Texans will be spending Tuesday night with an eye on primary results, Frisco City Council members will be combing through information from the Arts of Collin County. Discussion on the Collin County arts hall was a last-minute add to Tuesday's agenda. Some council members have a lot of questions about the costs, now and in the future, for the long-planned hall in Allen. Council member Pat Fallon wants the council to consider putting the $19 million bond authorization back before voters. Click here to read my story over the weekend.

Tea Party activism may have started with national politics in mind, but its themes have filtered down into state and even local races, report DMN colleagues Ian McCann and Theodore Kim. "We're very pleased with the early voting data that's coming out," Dallas Tea Party leader Phillip Dennis, a Frisco resident, tells them. "We like to feel we've had an effect."

Frisco's still celebrating its winning bid to host the NCAA FCS title game at Pizza Hut Park. "The NCAA saw in Frisco what most of us already know," said City Council member Scott Johnson, who was part of the team of presenters sent to Indianapolis. "We have a dynamic economy, a history of success and the best people in the world." University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletic director Rick Hart said losing the NCAA FCS game to Frisco won't have a dramatic effect on the school, but it's still disappointing, reports the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "We loved having the game here and we certainly benefited from it as it relates to exposure," he told the Free Press. "It was nice having the 'Road to Chattanooga' lead to your venue."

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Folks in Frisco are celebrating today. The NCAA Football Championship Subdivision game will be played for the next three years at Pizza Hut Park.

Frisco beat out the other finalist, Chattanooga, Tenn., which has hosted the small-college championship at Finley Stadium for the past 13 years.

"With the quality of bids that were submitted, it was not an easy decision to make," said Damani Leech, NCAA director of baseball and football. "But we feel the right decision and right place to serve as the site for the Division I football championship is indeed Frisco."

Frisco Mayor Maher Maso welcomed the news and praised the effort that put together the winning bid. He said the city will get to work immediately designing the fan experience for the weeklong festivities leading up to the next game, which is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2011.

"This means a lot to the region," Maso said. "We welcome the sports world to our city."

The game will be played the same day as the AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas, but that doesn't concern those involved.

"People are passionate about sports here," said Marla Roe, executive director of the Frisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. "There's a broad enough fan base to support a wide variety of events."

Southland Conference Commissioner Tom Burnett was at a loss for words Friday afternoon. The team from Frisco that included Burnett, Maso, Roe and others made their final presentation to the NCAA committee in Indianapolis on Thursday. The decision came within 24 hours.

"There was never a moment when it didn't make sense to us," Burnett said of the team involved in putting together Frisco's bid. "We want college football in that stadium."

The donation box to benefit Fort Hood soldiers through Operation Once in a Lifetime will be in Frisco Square through Sunday, reports Danielle Abril from NeighborsGo.com. Click here to read more.

Preston Road will be reduced to one lane between Eldorado Parkway and Mockingbird Lane today and Saturday as part of the widening project being done by the Texas Department of Transportation. Motorists should expect delays.

The lane closures will be from 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. today and between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday. If weather delays the work, this lane closure will continue from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

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View it as Flashdance, Frisco style.

Liberty High's dance team is hosting its first Marching Auxiliaries (MA) Dance Competition next Saturday, drawing squads from across North Texas. The competition will serve as a precursor to MA Nationals in Fort Worth the following week.

The event starts at 7 a.m. and spans the day. And like a movie, admission costs $10 for adults and $6 for senior citizens.

Today's the last day for early voting. The primary is Tuesday. Click here for information on ballots, polling places and times. Need help deciding which candidate to choose? Check out our Voters Guide.

Frisco officials say their presentation to bring the NCAA FCS title game to Pizza Hut Park went well in Indianapolis on Thursday. Chattanooga officials report their presentation, which relied on 13 years of experience hosting the game, went equally well. Now it's up to the NCAA committee to decide. We may learn as early as today which city wins the bid. Stay tuned.

More fake checks from the city of Frisco are turning up around the country, reports the Frisco Enterprise. Sgt. Adam Henderson tells the Enterprise that Frisco police are investigating.

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